The Twenty20 Cup in England

Courtesy of ECB website

Twenty20 Cup regulations

Format
Each team will play five zonal matches with either two or three of these being home matches. Matches are to be played between 13th and 24th June.

The top teams from each group and the best second-placed team (usual criteria apply) will progress to finals day on Saturday 19 July. Both semi-finals and the final will be played on that day. Zonal matches have no reserve days, finals day has one reserve day.

Playing Conditions

Duration
One innings per side, each innings limited to a maximum of 20 overs

Interval
The interval will normally be of 15 minutes duration. In reduced overs matches, the interval will be cut to 10 minutes.

Re-arrangement of Overs
Teams have one hour 15 minutes to bowl 20 overs. In the first innings, the calculation of the number of overs to be bowled shall be based on one over for every full 3.75 minutes in the total time available for play up to the scheduled close of play. In the second innings of the match, overs shall be reduced at a rate of one over for every full 3.75 minutes lost, unless the first innings finished early / second innings started early in which case no overs are lost until the time that has been gained is subsequently lost.

Timed Out
The incoming batsman must be in position to take guard or for his partner to be ready to receive the next ball (or for his partner to receive the next ball) within one minute 30 seconds of the fall of the previous wicket.

Ball
White Kookaburra balls are to be used.

The Result
Each side must have faced (or had the opportunity to face) five overs in order to constitute a match. The Duckworth Lewis Method shall be used in interrupted matches.

Restrictions on the Placement of Fieldsmen
Fielding restrictions apply for the first six overs of each innings.

Number of Overs per Bowler
Each bowler may bowl a maximum of four overs. In a delayed or interrupted match, no bowler may bowl more than one fifth of the total overs allowed unless such a number has been exceeded before the interruption.

Free Hit after a Foot Fault No Ball
This will apply.

Short Pitched Bowling
As in other one-day competitions, one short-pitched ball is allowed per over.

Over-Rate Penalties
The six-run penalty for each over not bowled will apply - all sides are expected to be in position to bowl the first ball of the last of their 20 overs within one hour 15 minutes playing time. In reduced over matches, the fielding side has one over's leeway in addition to any time that the Umpires may allow for stoppages.

Umpires are instructed to apply a strict interpretation of time-wasting by the batsman (five-run penalties). Specifically, batsmen are expected to be ready for the start of a new over as soon as the bowler is ready.

What do people think of this new Twenty20 Cup? I'm undecided, makes things much more exciting but might create bad habits......

Supposedly Channel 4 have got coverage of a small amount of them too.

A True Champion - Bob. Rest in peace. 15/04/06"People today have too big a devil and too small a God"
- Stephen Currie"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" Psalm 27:1

The parallel, of course, was the introduction of one-day cricket in the first place.

The old Gillette Cup (known as just 'The Knockout Cup' in 1963) was 65 overs a side, and to a certain extent teams played 'proper cricket'.

A few old Brigadiers choked on their brandies, but by and large the activities weren't TOO frenetic. Pull your 'Times' over your head, close your eyes and away you go (the duck's helping me with this) - 'zzzzzzzzzz'.

Come the mid-1960's, the 'International Cavaliers' played challenges on Sunday afternoons. Games HAD to finish by 7.00 - not sure whether this was because of television, but certainly the 'Lord's Day Observance Society' were up in arms about people missing Evensong.

These were 40 overs a side, and people were most definitely saying 'not cricket', 'tip and run', 'electric rounders' (my favourite) and the like.

What I remember of those halcyon days of limited overs cricket was the number of kids in attendance. They could equate to the game. It wasn't (as they saw it) 'slow' or 'sterile', all the usual epithets thrown at the longer game. It was more like the games we played at school - sure, frantic, but exciting, dynamic, fun.

In my mind, the 20 over game will have the same effect now as the 40 over game did then.

I think that kids may be able to relate more to the 20-over version because that's what is played in Junior leagues up and down the country, although it will lack the excitement of "It's 6.15pm. The match starts in five minutes. I have nine players. Random 10-year old, do you want to play? Balls, they're going at eight an over. Don't worry lads, we can still win this. Arse. We're 16-3 after five overs. Now, we can hold on for a point for the losing draw. No! You need to put the bat down over the line or you're run out, and not just hold it in the air.. As proven there, you idiot"

Anyway, aside from ramblings, should help bring new tactics and options up into the 50-over game and first-class cricket. Look at the improvements in improvised strokeplay and, in particular, fielding, that the one-day game has brought.

Oh, and Channel 4 is covering one game on Saturday June 21, I think.

I thoroughly intend to be at the Finals day as well (whether or not the ECB recognise me as media), as the first part of a festival of cricket weekend, cumulating with the Caistor Town CC Select XI vs Nottinghamshire XI at Brigg Road, Caistor in Wayne Noon's Benefit Match, where there will be activities and fun for all the family.

I can't wait to see the Twenty20 Cup. I saw Super Max and it was a sucess out there. So much fun for the fans and kids watching.

What was power cricket in England?

It was the couple of games last Sept / Oct time. Basically it was England vs a Rest of the World side, in 2 indoor matches (Cardiff) and there were bigger runs on offer if you hit the ball to certain parts, eg the top tier of the stand was worth 12 etc and it was two 15 over inngs.

Originally posted by Rich2001 It was the couple of games last Sept / Oct time. Basically it was England vs a Rest of the World side, in 2 indoor matches (Cardiff) and there were bigger runs on offer if you hit the ball to certain parts, eg the top tier of the stand was worth 12 etc and it was two 15 over inngs.

I thought that it was going to be rubbish, but watched it out of curiosity.

Originally posted by luckyeddie I thought that it was going to be rubbish, but watched it out of curiosity.

IT WAS FANTASTIC!

I went there, and so many people who dont normally watch cricket were watching , but they appeared to have a great time... I reckon it must have converted quite a few people, so it served a purpouse...

Read an interview with John Crawley, Hampshire captain, and he says that 180 will be only a defendable total in this format, :O I've played 20 over cricket for 7 years and the highest I think I've seen anyone score is 160 in their overs. What does everyone think? Before I read that article I was thinking 130-140 but some of my mates thought more along the lines of 120-odd.